Opinion

As many of you may recall, about this time last year the S.C. Senate had just closed the book on our debate over the first round of federal stimulus money. Now, with a year’s worth of information, we can start to assess its effectiveness.

So often, one sees only the negative responses to community issues. I would like to take this opportunity to offer positive praise and thanks to our local EMS staff.

We have had cause on two separate occasions lately to be extremely grateful for the prompt and professional service provided us by the Indian Land EMS staff. Once in May when my husband suffered a heart attack, and again in June when he had an internal hemorrhage.

On both occasions, the response time was minimal and the care was exceptional.

HOPE in Lancaster is returning to its old home Monday. After outgrowing its space on Pageland Highway, the local charity, which runs a food pantry and assists families with rent and utility payments, moved to a temporary location on Arch Street in Lancaster about 18 months ago.

But now its old home has been renovated and expanded, and HOPE is moving back into its old digs.

HOPE’s expansion wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the help of some caring local folks who believe in and support its mission.

As I continue to read about all the controversy over the Muslim’s building the mosque near Ground Zero in New York, I personally take this as a slap in the face. I can only imagine how the families of those who lost their lives must feel. You should study their religion. Their Bible (the Quran) plainly teaches that all who do not convert to Islam are infidels and should be killed.

In addition to killing infidels like Christians and Jews, Muslims are also commanded to kill anyone who leaves Islam (Hadith vol. 4, no. 260).

What about that mayor’s race? Four candidates who want to be the mayor of the city of Lancaster. When filing started, who would’ve predicted we’d have so many candidates vying for mayor? The interest in this seat certainly surprised us. How about you?

When I was very young, I had the opportunity and the privilege to work with Dr. William Duke when he first started practicing in Lancaster. We started the first EKG Department in Marion Sims Hospital. When the new hospital was completed in 1971, we moved the department there.

Area football fans will get a major dose of high school pigskin action tonight at Lancaster Memtorial Stadium.

The stadium, entering its 43rd season, will host wall-to-wall prep football starting at 6 p.m, when Andrew Jackson, under interim Volunteers’ coach David Moore, leads his team against Class A foe McBee High School in the seventh annual Founders Federal Credit Union Kickoff Classic.

Founders serves as the corporate sponsor, while The Lancaster News, Carolina Gateway and Carolina Shopper are the event’s media sponsors.

There are so many who could share their story about Dr. William Duke’s influence on their lives. I can only tell a brief overview of my story. The whole story would take hundreds of pens and miles of paper.

I came to work in Marion Sims Memorial Hospital in 1967, two weeks after graduating from nursing at USC. Although I graduated on campus in Columbia, many of my classes were at the Universtiy of South Carolina at Lancaster with Caroline Funderburk as my instructor.

I read with great interest Sam Slack’s recent letter, “Libertarianism will add to our nation’s problems,” I beg to differ with him the Republican Party has not changed its core philosophy since its inception.

It is for a small federal government with states’ having rights within their borders. Most of the ridiculous things he cites do not even deserve an answer.

However, I will tell you that the best person for the job of U.S. Congressman in the 5th District is Mick Mulvaney.

Based on the comments in the online section of The Lancaster News, it is obvious a lot of people have opinions on the new Evidence Preservation Act but don’t have a clue what the law actually requires. I would like to take this opportunity to answer some of the questions and comments regarding the Act.

I hope this letter will help keep someone else from making the same mistake I did. I never thought this would happen to me. I even looked in the mirror to see if I had “Stupid” splashed across my forehead.

I let a young man cheat me out of a lot of money. He came to my house and talked me into letting him pave my driveway with recycled asphalt.

I know that this can be a good thing if it is done right, but this was not done right.

Driving home from a business trip in Atlanta recently, I was trying to stay alert. Zooming down that lonely stretch of State Road 12 headed toward Bristol, I suddenly recalled a song I heard in my teenage years.

I haven’t thought much about that song in my adult years until now. Perhaps I was thinking about the song because my cousins had come to visit.

When the S.C. Republican Party met in Columbia last year, there was a spirited race to decide who would serve as our representatives to the Republican National Committee.

We were to elect two from South Carolina. Cindy Costa from Charleston was elected commiteewoman and Glenn McCall from Rock Hill was elected committeeman. Glenn was the first black to be elected national committeeman from our state and he was easily the overwhelming choice of that mostly conservative group.

I started Indian Land School in 1957 and finished in 1969. I was sad to hear of Mr. W.P. Leaphart passing.

A lot of newcomers I’m sure don’t know, but this man was the best of the best in what he did and guided a lot of students as he was a great teacher.

His knowledge was vast. He was a soft-spoken man who could point you to the correct way to do tasks. He was always helpful to the community as he ran the cannery in summer and taught adult classes in welding, small engines, etc.